


don't ever let me down

by miyamellyn



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, Siblings!!, set during act 6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 00:33:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30114411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miyamellyn/pseuds/miyamellyn
Summary: Honestly, Juza had expected worse from Settsu.A study of Juza Hyodo during Act 6!
Relationships: Hyoudou Juuza & Hyoudou Kumon, Hyoudou Juuza/Settsu Banri
Comments: 3
Kudos: 41





	don't ever let me down

Kumon is here and Juza is absolutely torn over it.

Of course he wants his brother here. Of course he does. Kumon’s the one who, more than anyone else, believed in him from the start and never stopped. Kumon and their mother both, but Kumon’s the one who had been in elementary school with Juza and had been witness to all the terrible things that were said about Juza—that he was scary, that he picked fights (he didn’t), that he had fought a middle schooler and won (he did). 

Juza loves Kumon, loves spending time with him and indulging him by making up stories of cursed relics and dragons and heroes who overcome their own inner demons to save entire realms, loves catching for him when he’s trying to learn a new pitch, loves not having to hide any part of himself around his brother. He loves the way his brother’s faith in him has never wavered, not once. 

And that’s precisely why Juza doesn’t want him here. 

During their first run of Picaresque, Juza had felt an incredible sense of pressure. Lines, blocking, and choreography to remember, all to be delivered with certain emotions and facial expressions and tones of voice, building up Lansky as a believable character for the audience. All while working with Settsu and playing off the energies of the rest of the Autumn Troupe, everyone’s performances hinging on him and Settsu as the leads. 

And he knows his brother, and he knows that Kumon will be the same. Kumon will want to give the best performance he can, will want to uphold the reputation of the Summer Troupe, will want to live up to the expectation of a troupe that includes Sumeragi Tenma. And so Kumon will feel the pressure to perform at his best. 

Baseball had broken Kumon’s heart, and Juza can’t let theater break it again. 

But Kumon makes friends in Mankai so quickly and easily, and he’s having fun in a way that he hasn’t since he quit baseball, and Juza can’t bring himself to oppose that. 

Kumon asking to join the Summer Troupe had been the nail in the coffin for Juza’s opposition. Kumon’s judgment has always been a little blind when it comes to Juza, but after spending a little time with Mankai, he’d asked to join the Summer Troupe instead. He’d been that impacted by the Summer Troupe and the hard work they put into making people smile and laugh, and so what choice does Juza have but to let him try? 

So he resolves himself to support Kumon as much as he can and to enjoy spending time with his brother. It’s easy; Kumon fits in so easily with Mankai. The Summer Troupe loves him—Juza had asked them how Kumon was doing once, when Kumon had first started rehearsals, and instantly the room was full of chatter. 

“Kumopi is such a good kid,” Kazunari had said, throwing an arm around Juza. “You Hyobros are really two peas in a pod, yanno?”

“Kyuchan is working so hard!” Muku had said, though he shared a concerned look with Juza. “He was nervous about his audition, but he was able to relax and do a great job! He’s improved so much already!” 

“He’s a good student,” Tenma had added, smiling proudly. “My best student, in fact!” The rest of Summer Troupe had looked torn between being proud of Kumon themselves and making a cutting remark towards Tenma. 

_ It’ll be okay, _ Juza tries to tell himself.  _ He has all of Summer Troupe to support him, and Mankai is so good at helping people. It was thanks to everyone’s support that I’m here now, isn’t it? _ But that hadn’t worked for Kumon’s baseball team, had it? 

So Juza can only be nervous and watch out for Kumon’s health as much as he can. He wants Kumon to have a new dream, wants Kumon to find himself again on the stage, but it’s not worth his health. Nothing is. 

The other troupes like Kumon, too. Taichi has somehow bonded with him over their mutual admiration of Juza’s abs, which Juza would rather not think about, Spring Troupe seems to think of him as a little brother, and Omi and Kumon have been trading healthy cooking tips in the afternoons as Omi makes dinner. And Settsu…

Honestly, Juza had expected worse from Settsu. He’d expected Settsu to…well, he’s not really sure what he had expected from Settsu. Maybe that he’d try to fight Kumon or something? To finally “settle the score” with Juza, or whatever he’s always on about? And Kumon certainly hasn’t been as warm and friendly to Settsu as he is to everyone else in Mankai. Juza’s tried to tell him that Settsu is part of Mankai, just as much as everyone else. The most annoying member of Mankai, maybe, always trying to pick a fight or telling Juza that something’s wrong with his face, but he’s part of the Mankai family nonetheless, and Juza wants them to get along for the sake of the company. But Kumon had been there at closing night for Picaresque, and he’d seen Settsu throw that punch at Juza for real, and he’s never gotten over it.

Juza wouldn’t blame Settsu if he ignored Kumon or avoided him, honestly. Kumon manages to appear half the time when Juza and Settsu are bickering, which is pretty often, and he always has an insult or a passionate defense of Juza at the ready. Neither is ever particularly effective, and while Juza loves that Kumon still wants to protect him, it’s probably pretty annoying to Settsu. 

And yet the worst that Settsu ever does is question Kumon’s insults or tell him to stop pulling Juza’s shirt up at dinner, neither of which are sentiments Juza himself opposes. It’s surprisingly mild for the guy who’s literally here at Mankai because he tried, repeatedly, to pick a fight with Juza. 

Maybe Settsu, in his own way, is trying to get along with Kumon too, and that thought fills Juza with warmth. Autumn Troupe is Juza’s family too now, and he wants them to get along. 

But even so, the last thing Juza’s expecting to see in the courtyard tonight is Settsu and Kumon, talking amicably and running through some of Kumon’s scenes for  _ Hatsukoi Koshien. _

Juza’s not surprised that Kumon’s putting in some evening practice. It’s the way he’s always been with baseball, always wanting to go a little bit longer and throw a few more pitches before the sun dips below the horizon. He never half-asses anything, to the point of developing customized nutrition plans for himself during baseball season. 

But he  _ is _ surprised to see Settsu out here with Kumon, especially when Kumon’s made every effort to push Settsu away since joining Mankai. Juza’s even been a little worried that it would interfere with his own relationship with Settsu, because as little as he and Settsu cooperate anyway, their partnership is vital to the Autumn Troupe. But here Settsu is, helping Kumon with his acting and chatting like they hadn’t been at each other’s throats last night over whether Juza’s sweet tooth is disgusting or cool. 

Juza breathes a sigh of relief as he watches quietly from around the corner of the courtyard. Settsu’s being really helpful, actually. The advice he gives is clear and concise and it’s clear that Kumon’s getting it right away when Settsu gives him direction. 

Juza has long since resigned himself to losing to Settsu in most things. The guy’s inhumanly talented at pretty much everything, and Juza gave up a while ago on finding anything that he’s bad at. But Juza refuses to lose at acting, and now there’s something else he absolutely will not lose at: taking care of Kumon.  _ Juza’s _ his brother, not Settsu. Not anyone else, and Juza’s going to do everything he can to make sure that Kumon succeeds here at Mankai, so that smile can stay on Kumon’s face. 

As much as he would prefer to not admit it, Settsu’s probably better suited for this particular type of mentoring than he is. Juza stands toe to toe with Settsu on stage, but only after long, careful hours of practicing, considering his character and the way he wants to portray each emotion and deliver each line. Settsu’s much more adaptable ( _ for now, _ Juza reminds himself), adjusting to the people around him in an instant. Plus, Juza doesn’t want to mess with whatever’s going on right now. It’d be nice if Kumon and Settsu could get along, at least a little bit. 

So Juza ruminates on what he  _ could _ do instead. What he can do, as Kumon’s brother. And then he settles on an idea.

The next day, Juza finds Muku, and asks him for a copy of the script for  _ Hatsukoi Koushien. _ Muku gives him a look, like he knows why Juza wants it, but he says nothing, just tells him that he’ll bring it by his room later. 

If Juza needs time to settle into a role, he’ll do everything he can to settle into Kumon’s. 

So he spends his evenings over the next few weeks studying the script, taking notes on character motivations and where the timing should be for jokes and where he thinks he should be a little more serious. He’s been doing theater long enough that he’s not worried about learning his lines—it’ll take him time, but he’s confident he won’t forget. The hard part would be fitting in on stage with Summer Troupe. 

Juza starts watching bits and pieces of Summer Troupe rehearsals, either under the guise of checking on Kumon or just lurking outside the practice room by means of pretending to enjoy the fresh air on the balcony. He tries to remember as much as he can, so that when he practices Akiyama’s lines he can try to replicate the feeling and the timing. But it’s never quite enough; neither Autumn Troupe nor Juza’s college productions have ever put on something like this, and Juza keeps feeling lost in the rhythm and flow of comedy. 

But there’s nothing else he can do for Kumon, is there? He’s going to support him, no matter what. Kumon already knows that. Juza’s spent too many years supporting Kumon with encouragement and comfort, warm hugs and gentle care, nothing that has helped Kumon get back on his feet and back on the field. There’s no understudy for an ace pitcher, but an actor can have one, right? And then the success of the play won’t be on Kumon’s shoulders alone. And so Juza studies diligently, putting everything he can into learning this role in secret, because Kumon doesn’t want to be seen as weak, and Juza doesn’t want that either. Mankai deserves to know Kumon without the clouding that seems to come over people when they realize how easily he gets sick.  _ He’s not weak, _ Juza always wants to say.  _ He’s the strongest. He believes in people the rest of the world has given up on. _

He tries to study in secret, but he can tell it’s not working. He struggles with comedic timing, watching himself move awkwardly in the mirror as he practices. He struggles to deliver the lines smoothly and comically, unable to make himself sound as light and silly as Kumon does in the role. This is  _ hard, _ but Juza’s determined to push through it. Making people smile and laugh has never been something Juza could do offstage, but he wants to at least be able to do it when he’s onstage, for Kumon and for himself. For everyone who ever told him his face was scary and unappealing. 

In a best case scenario, he won’t need to put his comedic chops to the test. Kumon will be just fine, and the show will go off without a hitch. But that’s not how things work in theater, and it’s not how things seem to go for the Hyodo family, either. Juza’s dreading it, but he’s not surprised either when Muku shows up at his room and tells him that Kumon has a fever. 

So far Juza’s managed to practice mostly when Settsu’s been out of the room; Settsu saw the script once, but he didn’t seem to think much of it. But it won’t be possible to hide Kumon’s fevers from Settsu now. Settsu’s a good guy, Juza knows. He’s kind to everyone, with the notable exception of Juza himself, and Juza doesn’t think Settsu would do anything with the knowledge of Kumon’s fevers. But he’s not expecting Settsu to follow him and Muku out to the dorm’s living room to meet with the Summer Troupe. 

He and Muku explain the situation, apologizing for not telling Tenma and Izumi earlier. They shouldn’t have hidden it, but what else could they have done? It’s always hurt Kumon to have people know and treat him differently. And then they have to decide what to do about it. 

Juza steps forward and tells Izumi and Tenma his plan. This is what he’s been practicing for, after all, and he promised himself that he’d support Kumon in every way that he can. And then Settsu laughs at him.

At first, Juza’s furious. He’s been practicing, and he’s miles better than he had been when they first started. He’s slower to learn new things than Settsu, sure, but isn’t everyone? Juza can do this. What has he been working for these past few weeks if not to support his brother? It’s not much, but at least the show can go on even if Kumon is too sick to go onstage. 

He’s not expecting Settsu to volunteer himself in Juza’s place. 

And as much as Juza hates to admit it, Settsu’s  _ right. _ Settsu would pick up the role and blocking and the timing, the interactions with the members of the Summer Troupe,  _ everything, _ much faster than Juza would. He’s not the better actor—Juza won’t lose—but he’s the better choice for this. 

Juza’s second thought is that Settsu’s only volunteering to show him up. Just wants to make a big stink about how he’s the superior actor, and how Juza’s a dumb daikon with a scary mug who would never be believable as a high school student, despite the fact that he was one mere months ago. And then he sees the look on Settsu’s face. It’s  _ softer, _ somehow, than his usual face. No cocky smirk, no braggarty grin, just a little furrow of his brow like he’s legitimately concerned about the situation. About Kumon.

_ Oh, _ Juza thinks. Settsu  _ is _ actually concerned about Kumon, and about Mankai. And then Settsu looks at Juza, a little bit nervous, like he’s worried that Juza’s going to say no.

Well, Settsu could’ve phrased it nicer. But to do so wouldn’t have been like Settsu, and Juza wouldn’t have liked that either. So he swallows his pride and thanks Settsu, looking him directly in the eyes. He’s entrusting his precious brother to Settsu, but he’s surprised to realize that the idea doesn’t scare him. Settsu really is good with Kumon, and Juza may not trust him with his sweets, but he trusts him with his life. 

Settsu looks surprised, like he’d expect Juza to push back. And Juza sure wants to, because he wants to do this for Kumon, but it’s more important for Kumon and the company that the  _ right _ person do this. 

“I’ve got something else we can do for now!” Muku’s voice surprises Juza out of his thoughts. “It’s what we did for Kumon before his audition…”

So that’s how Juza finds himself playing the role of Juko alongside Settsu’s Banbi, and he feels really stupid doing this—it’d been hard for him to even admit to liking sweets, so playing the role of a high school girl is quite a stretch—but the way Kumon smiles makes it worth it. And the way  _ Settsu _ smiles after the skit, when Kumon’s laughing, well—maybe that gives Juza a bit of joy too. 

And Settsu may be a lot of unfortunate things, but he’s not a flake. Juza spends the next few days running through the script with Settsu, helping him practice the blocking and the timing of his deliveries, sitting in with him on Summer Troupe practices to get the best idea of how Settsu could fit into Kumon’s role. Pretty soon they’re doing a full run-through with Settsu in Kumon’s role, and Juza has to laugh at Kumon’s face. He’s clearly itching to be up there on stage himself, which itself makes Juza’s throat catch a little bit. Kumon being here, sharing Juza’s passion for acting, building a new passion for himself from the ruins of his baseball career—it’s more than Juza could have asked for. And Juza still can’t quite believe that Settsu is the one up there working hard so that Kumon can get through his first play, so that Kumon can  _ stay.  _ As Juza watches Settsu up on stage, he realizes something. 

Settsu hadn’t volunteered to take Chikage’s place when he and the director had gone missing, even though that situation had been at least as dire, if not much worse. He probably would have done it if asked, but he hadn’t stepped up for it. 

He stepped up for Kumon. 

But why, though? Why now and not then? If Settsu was just after leading roles, he would’ve learned Chikage’s role as well, and Juza somehow doesn’t believe that Settsu really wanted to save the company from Juza’s mediocre comedy skills. If it had only been about Juza’s comedy, Settsu probably would’ve just watched and laughed. So it must be something else, and the only conclusion Juza can come up with is that Settsu actually cares about Kumon and Juza. 

And then Juza feels warmer than he has in years, because if stubborn asshole Banri Settsu cares this much about Juza and Kumon, then maybe he can start to relax a little bit, because Mankai’s not going anywhere. They’re all family now. Juza’s cheeks redden a little bit, because that’s a nice thought, Settsu being family. 

Juza likes being around Settsu more than he’d say out loud. Settsu makes it practically impossible to say nice things about him, with the amount of time he spends picking fights with Juza and being perfectly normal to everyone else. But Juza likes that too, in a way. Out of all the talented actors in the company—Tsumugi, Tasuku, Misumi, even Tenma—Settsu somehow sees Juza as his rival, the one person he wants to beat more than anyone else. Settsu’s never been scared of Juza, not once. Juza can bicker and argue and practically come to blows with Settsu in front of anyone in Mankai, and they won’t scream or run away or call the police, no matter how scary it looks from the outside. At this point, Juza is pretty sure he won’t ever be able to get rid of Settsu, even if he wants to. 

Juza has a good idea of how he feels about Settsu, but getting that guy to talk about his feelings is worse than pulling teeth. Maybe he should ask Yuzo to set them an acting exercise about first loves. Settsu’s competitive side is also his easily manipulated one, after all. 

So for now he’ll just enjoy watching Settsu pull off the role of a high school baseball player surprisingly well, despite his long, pretty hair, and he’ll enjoy the feeling of having a much larger family than he ever thought possible. 

**Author's Note:**

> whoops my hand slipped and I wrote more Sibling Fic! this is a companion to my "did you ever get the feeling" fic, about Banri in this same time period. i love these fools very much
> 
> concrit appreciated! 
> 
> thanks vena, v, elsie, and clarkie for yelling w me about these fools all day! many hug!


End file.
